Adrian Brown, 38, denies attempted murder on the grounds of insanity.

The stabbing took place at Forest Hill overground station, in south-east London.Getty

A schizophrenic man stabbed a train passenger several times in an unprovoked attack whilst shouting "I want to kill all the Muslims", a court was told.

Passenger Muhammed Ali was stabbed repeatedly on a London Overground train on 12 December last year when he was attacked by Adrian Brown.

Brown, 38, was said to have been suffering from a "severe psychotic episode" when he attacked Ali on a train travelling between Honor Oak Park and Forest Hill in south London, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The court heard how intervention by other rail passengers may have saved Ali's life after he was stabbed in the head, chest and back.

During the hearing Brown, of Brockley Rise, south-east London, agreed he did stab Ali but denies attempted murder on the grounds of insanity.

Prosecutor Alan Kent QC said Brown had left the hostel he was staying in on 12 December armed with a knife and headed for the overground station.

Kent said according to the Guardian: "He left that hostel armed with a knife – he was determined to find and kill Muslim men.

"He went to the train station at Honor Oak Park, which isn't very far away from the hostel where he was living. He had with him a knife which he took from the hostel.

"He walked up and down the train threatening passengers, threatening death to Muslims while looking for any Muslim men to stab and kill.

"He saw the victim, Mr Muhammed Ali, who was sitting on the train with his wife. The defendant approached Mr Ali, who was sitting down, and repeatedly stabbed him to his head and his body.

"Other passengers on this train came to Mr Ali's rescue and it would seem it was their bravery coupled with medical attention from a doctor and a nurse who happened to be on a train, that they may well have saved his life through their quick medical intervention."

It was stated that Ali suffered injuries to his head and torso and a punctured lung in the violence and the jury heard that Brown had assaulted a hostel worker earlier that day.

It is alleged that Brown became irate after a lack of hot water and attacked Filipe Dias who had previously confiscated knives from the defendant.

Kent told jurors that after attacking Dias, he left the building saying "I'm going to kill some Muslims", according to the BBC.

Brown is also charged with carrying a knife and assaulting Dias both of which are denied on the grounds of insanity. Jurors must decide if the defendant was insane at the time of the incidenrts.